Tiffinbox

Inspiring Photographers

Your Photography Business Doesn’t Need A Path

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Angela Pointon is the founder of Angela Pointon Photography and Steel Toe Images, which offers advice and inspiring motivation for photography business owners. Angela's weekly email newsletter is packed with advice for photographers, which can be subscribed to for free here. In addition, she has authored multiple books for photographers, is a monthly columnist for Professional Photographer Magazine, blogs at Steel Toe Images and posts to Facebook, G+, Pinterest and Twitter.

You don’t need a plan or a path. I mean, really. You don’t. But, if you're in the photography business and you want to successfully compete, earn healthy revenue and achieve goals, then you actually should have an idea of where you're going. Here's what I mean…

Photography Business Plan Sample - Angela Pointon

Anyone (and I mean anyone) can start a photography business today. You've probably read about the insane low barrier to entry for the photography industry. And while this low barrier to entry creates a photographer, not a creative ass-kicker, it also creates a business owner.

Assuming we eliminate the hobbyists out there, those photographers using a camera to earn money encompass a definitive universe of people. And within that universe of people, there are a small number that you actually compete with. If you serve a certain geographic area or a certain genre, then the others that also try to do that same thing are your competition. (By the way, your competition is also your clients that choose to “shoot it themselves” or not hire you at all.) But for now, let's focus on the small part of the universe that you actually compete with every day for dollars.

What Sets You Apart From Them?

My images are different.

Yea, maybe.

My clients love me.

You're getting warmer.

I've won awards.

You're getting colder.

I'm a better business owner.

You're red hot.

Running a successful photography business involves being a better business owner, marketer and also a better person. If you put yourself in your potential client's shoes, it's really hard to hire a photographer if they're a poor business owner and a really shitty marketer, isn't it? Even if their images are breath-taking.

But you can gain competitive advantage for out-marketing and out-pathing and out-businessing (new words) the next guy or gal.

A Photography Business Plan Can Set You Apart

So many photographers launch businesses (daily) with absolutely no clear plan. They're not specific on what they're shooting. They're not certain of where they're going. They only know they're on a new road called photography.

This presents an opportunity for you to one-up this trend.

By creating a photography business plan, you're not merely laying out your plans for growth, revenue and success. You're planning your opportunity to more successfully compete as a business owner. And perhaps most importantly, you're positioning yourself and your business to be better, whatever that might mean to you.

Download A Photography Business Plan Sample

I wanted to create a photography business plan that made sense for my own photography business. If you've searched around for one, like I did, you found lengthy documents that are more appropriate for photographers looking to get bank loans. In other words, they looked like documents a banker would enjoy reading. They didn't, however, look like plans that would actually help a photographer compete and move forward.

So I decided to just create my own photography business plan based on what I learned from being a customer of Gazelles at a past marketing agency. It includes the few things that photographers will find useful and it fits to just one page of paper.

I wanted to make it accessible to other photographers, too. So I am offering it for download here. The best part about it is you get to name the price you want to pay for it. It has a suggested price of $27, but when you place it in your cart you can edit the price.

Think you'll get tons more value out of it? Go ahead and make it more. Is your photography business budget just too tight? I totally respect that. Go ahead and make it less. No, seriously.

Check it out here

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Christine Tremoulet Discusses Her New Project For Women Creatives: Vivid & Brave

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Houston based photographer Christine Tremoulet described a new project she has co-founded, called Vivid & Brave, for creative women.

If you are a creative woman, running a business that requires you to write blog posts from the heart and evoke your core vision for your ideal clients, you are going to want to check out Vivid & Brave.

Christine and I sat down last week to talk about Vivid & Brave and what it means for creative women.

Vivid & Brave is a labour of love collaboration between Christine & Stephanie. After meeting at a professional photographer's conference in 2011 and working together over the past two years as mentors, we learned we are committed to the same mission – to help women rediscover the parts of themselves that far too often get lost in the journey of life. We want to help you find your voice again, and share it with the world.

From Christine's last message to me, I know there are only 4 spots left in this inaugural class she is offering with Stephanie O.

Find out more about Vivid & Brave and apply to be a part of this new experience. Your business and your clients will thank you for it!

“Everything I Know”: Clarity, Meaning And Changing The World

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Paul Jarvis is the web designer behind Danielle LaPorte, Justine Musk and Alexandra Franzen‘s web sites. If you visit each of those fine establishments, your jaw will drop. At least mine does. Paul is also a writer. You can check out his books here.

Paul publishes a newsletter which I rather religiously open every single time and read it because I personally like his restrained or minimalist style. His approach is often matter-of-fact, based on his experiences as a designer and might I say, a thinker. Just about everything he produces feels mindful and almost precise.

In one of his recent newsletters he offered to make some time to speak with blog publishers about his new ebook called “Everything I Know.” Unlike his other book projects that were self-published and were offered only as electronic downloads, “Everything I Know,” is going to be produced as a hard-cover book if his Kickstarter campaign meets its goal of raising $20,000. That he is well beyond the half-way point right now tells you a little something about this project. People want to see “Everything I Know,” in print.

Paul Jarvis: Everything I Know

My goal for this book is to illustrate the potential you've got inside you, right now, to do something unique and innovative.

Before he and I sat down to chat, I insisted that he send me a review copy (on the promise of course that I would still support his project). He promptly sent me a 20-page teaser, which I read in about 10 minutes flat. The large font, simple sentences and short (and funny) anecdotes corralled my attention and had me nodding as I quickly turned the pages.

“Your work is a reflection of you, so why no make it something you love?”

Though I have only read a part of “Everything I Know,” I get the sense that it is less a “how-to” type book and more of a “write your own manifesto” type book. If you are spinning your wheels not knowing what to pursue, I would urge you to take a closer look at this book. It may just help define who you are and why you want to do what you do.

For now, let's listen to this conversation I had with Paul about his new ebook project:

“We need more people who make things. Useful and meaningful things that change the world.”

How Clients Can Crowd Fund Their Wedding Photography & You Can Market Your Business

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“Do you think it would be tacky if I registered ONLY with you?”

We had been sitting down over coffee at a local Panera. Going over the logistics of my getting to her destination wedding on a fairly remote island in South Florida. Her wedding was on a Friday and I had another wedding on Sunday back in Tennessee. Before we were even going to discuss photographing her wedding, we had to figure out if it was even possible.

I had rushed out the door with my wedding book samples but without my computer. So figuring travel costs and logistics were left up to my trusty iPhone. Once we got everything squared away, she sat back in her chair and looked at me over her raised cup of flavored coffee. “Tell me about this new business you started. You know… Ciderr?”

As she took a sip of coffee, I was a bit stunned to have heard this question. This bride had definitely done her homework before our meeting, since I don’t advertise my ownership in Ciderr from my photography website or blog.

Ciderr: Crowd Funding Wedding Photography

“How did it start? Where did the idea come from?” Her eyes definitely told me that she was genuinely interested. I normally just tell brides the benefits of Ciderr as it relates to their wedding. This was the first time a bride was asking deeper questions, and without any prompting from me.

So I took a deep breath and started talking.

“I was originally trying to figure out how to do gift cards for my business. I was having too many potential brides meet with me who wanted to hire me but they couldn’t afford me. There had to be an answer for this problem. Gift cards was a logical solution but as I was looking into it, it became a logistical nightmare. Way too complicated, and unappealing to everyone involved.”

“That’s when the idea of a registry came to me. I looked and looked but no one had built anything like it. Weird. So I approached one of my friends who knew way more about business than I did. Once I finished telling him my idea … creating a system for vendors in which brides could register for their products and services (and then their friends and family would help pay for everything), he was really excited about this new project!”

“In the days ahead, my new business partner did an incredible amount of research. Analyzing it from every angle. What he found out put a fire under our butts.”

I looked over at her to make sure I still had her attention or if I needed to go ahead and wrap up my story. She was now leaning forward and I never lost eye contact. I was about to share the statistical data we had found and I was already wondering if I had actually shared too much. Showing all of my cards, giving her too much information, could backfire on me. Her attention seemed to be all in, so I continued.

“The current registry industry was created for an era that only exists in part anymore. It was created for kids just moving out of their parents homes and getting married with literally nothing. That’s just not the case any more. Couples are getting married when they’re older and already established their careers, homes and everything that goes in them. The average age for a bride now is 29 and the groom is 31.”

At this point, she smiled and stopped me. “I’m 28 years old now but when we get married, I’ll be 29. And Jack is 31! Not only do we have everything but we have TWO of everything. I have pots and pans and he has pots and pans.” There was actually energy in her eyes as she continued, “To tell you the truth, we don’t know what to do with everything we do have. We have been having problems figuring out if we should even register anywhere. I think Ciderr is brilliant and I wish I had thought of it!”

Then she dropped the bomb, “Do you think it would be tacky if we ONLY registered with you?”

I looked down at my wedding samples. They were still sitting by my side … unopened. It was suddenly occurring to me that I was about to book a destination wedding using my new registry system alone. She obviously had seen my work online. She’d also seen a lot of other photographers amazing work online as well. The thing that stood out to her the most wasn’t my work (as much as I’d want it to). It was the fact that she could register with me and have her friends and family help pay for my services.

The thing that got me really excited was the statistical data that I didn’t tell her about. $19 billion dollars are spent on wedding registries every year. The AVERAGE wedding, 200 people buy gifts from the bride and groom’s registry. The average gift is between $70 to $100. It didn't take much time to figure out how much the wedding could be worth for me since she was ONLY registering with me. I was not competing with Williams Sonoma, Target, or Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Ciderr: Power of Crowdfunding

Beyond that, she was now becoming my marketing agent for my business. For free. Free advertising. She had a vested interest in telling all of her friends and family about her registry that is fully branded for my photography business. And we set up Ciderr so that once her friends contributed, they’re asked to spread the word about her registry on behalf of the bride and groom! So not only had I turned my bride into a marketing agent for my business but also her friends and family as well!

Ciderr: Marketing Potential

We built Ciderr for this bride I was sitting down with at Panera. And she’s not alone. Statistically, she’s not even an exception. She’s the new average. She’s the girl who’s more mature than her 20 year old counterpart. A girl who would rather have a beautiful wedding album that will last her a lifetime than a toaster that will last her 5 years. We exist to make sure our Ciderr members are ready for this new generation of brides!

Learn more through this explainer video about Ciderr:

Are you ready?

Why Using A Database Like “Light Blue” Is Good For Your Photography Business

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Are your receipts in shoeboxes? If you had to find your client's address in a pinch, can you do so? If you were curious about what kinds of images they last ordered, would you have a way of quickly accessing that information?

No? I didn't either. I was floating on that thing called “hope” … where I hoped I could find their address. I hoped I had all my receipts and costs of goods sold tucked away in a place where I could find them. And I definitely hoped I could go back to their client folder on my computer to figure out which images they ordered and in what sizes, the last time I served them.

Look, feeling a sense of “hope” is one thing. Running a business on “hope”? Sheer lunacy. Yet, I bet most of us run on that feeling of “hope.” For my photography business, something had to change and change quickly. If I wanted to send a quick email to my clients announcing a new product or a special portrait session, I was sunk. I had no way of doing it automatically and quickly.

Well, not anymore. Thanks in large part to Steve Saporito, a business consultant based in Australia, I was reintroduced to Light Blue Software, a robust, elegant and efficient database manager.

The first time I encountered Hamish Symington and his partner was at the Photo Plus Expo where they had a booth. I remember the program they were selling was all based around FileMakerPro. I regretfully didn't see the value in it back then. I know I would've been far better off if I had been able to track my transactions and create reports.

The company and the program has changed in recent years, moving away from FileMakerPro at its core. “Every line of code is new,” Hamish reassured me. In the last few years, the company pretty much dominates the UK market, making Light Blue Software the go-to database manager for photography studios.

If you are in the US, you are probably wondering (like I did) if currency, accounting and taxes could all be US-based. The answer is a resounding: YES! I've been using Light Blue Software now for about 6 weeks and it truly has paid for itself already.

What's more, while I am on the go, I can retrieve all of my data via my iPhone. Light Blue Software has an iPhone/iPad application which syncs to their cloud service. While synching to the cloud is an additional monthly cost, it is a huge time saver. Check out the iPhone/iPad app here.

I sat down to speak with Hamish Symington, Light Blue Software‘s founder, to ask him in general why using a database is good for our photography businesses and specifically what makes Light Blue Software so special. Check out our our brief conversation here:

Download their 30-day trial, which gives you full access to the program. And if you ever get stuck, Hamish and company are always quick to respond. In a pinch, due to the time difference, you may want to watch their extensive video tutorials.

Looking for a simple, elegant and intuitive database manager to get more organized? Give Light Blue Software a try.